The only question is how to pay for it.
The first and most important objective, Mariner, is not to spend it in the first place. European welfare states are examples of what conservatives don't want: single-payer health care and other cradle-to-grave programs. As a result, they pay for it by having 50% income taxation plus 15% sales tax(VAT) plus hidden taxes. You don't support that, do you? Well that is where we would be headed with things like RyanCare.
This goes beyond money. It is really all about control. Once government gains control over our lives, we are continually short-changed, told what to do and not to do, given poor value for our money, forced to beg, whine, complain and supplicate for our "fair share" and generally turned into mindless drones for the State. Take the VA hospitals as an example. Those who have lived under communism understand this and consider us foolish for our willingness to subjugate ourselves to government.
So we must oppose the growth of government, even if it means opposing a President that we otherwise support.
“European welfare states are examples of what conservatives don’t want”
If I were in charge we would burn DC to the ground, and the only Federal program would be Defense.
But I also recognize the political reality: Americans LIKE their programs and benefits. They will vote into office those that will give it to them and without regard to what conservatives think on the subject.
Just do a short poll ON THIS SITE. Most Freepers would never support the elimination of Social Security or Medicare, and most would not eliminate Unemployment Insurance...or completely eliminate any welfare program. Either they or close family members are using one of them, will soon be using one of them or don’t want to “leave destitute” those who use them.
I contend “conservatism”, when the name is stripped, is not politically popular.
“Take the VA hospitals as an example”
While I concede it’s fairly rare, the best medical care I ever received was at the VA.
But I do understand your point. I just wanted to correct, as I always do, disparagement of of the VA as a universal precept.